Part 26 (1/2)

'Well, Miss Nickleby, child,' said Madame Mantalini, when Kate presented herself; 'are you quite well again?'

'A great deal better, thank you,' replied Kate

'I wish I could say the sa herself with an air of weariness

'Are you ill?' asked Kate 'I am very sorry for that'

'Not exactly ill, but worried, child-worried,' rejoined Madaently 'Bodily illness is more easy to bear than mental'

'Ah! and it'sher nose with et to your work, child, and put the things in order, do'

While Kate ondering within herself what these symptoms of unusual vexation portended, Mr Mantalini put the tips of his whiskers, and, by degrees, his head, through the half-opened door, and cried in a soft voice- 'Is my life and soul there?'

'No,' replied his wife

'How can it say so, when it is bloo in the front rooed Mantalini 'May its poppet come in and talk?'

'Certainly not,' replied Mada!'

The poppet, however, encouraged perhaps by the relenting tone of this reply, ventured to rebel, and, stealing into the roo her a kiss as he ca

'Why will it vex itself, and twist its little face into bewitching nutcrackers?' said Mantalini, putting his left ar her towards hiht

'Oh! I can't bear you,' replied his wife

'Not-eh, not bear ME!' exclaimed Mantalini 'Fibs, fibs It couldn't be There's not a wo to my face-to my own face' Mr Mantalini stroked his chin, as he said this, and glanced complacently at an opposite ance,' reasoned his wife, in a low tone

'All in its joy at having gained such a lovely creature, such a little Venus, such a de little Venus,' said Mantalini

'See what a situation you have placed ed Madame

'No har,' rejoined Mr Mantalini 'It is all over; there will be nothing the ot in; and if it don't coain, or have his jugular separated if he dares to vex and hurt the little-'

'Hush!+' interposed Madaerness to ned to overlook, Miss Nickleby hitherto, took the hint, and laying his finger on his lip, sunk his voice still lower There was, then, a great deal of whispering, during which Madame Mantalini appeared to make reference, more than once, to certain debts incurred by Mr Mantalini previous to her coverture; and also to an unexpected outlay of money in payreeable weaknesses on that gentle, and a tendency to horse-flesh; each of which matters of accusation Mr Mantalini disposed of, by one kiss or more, as its relative importance demanded The upshot of it all was, that Madame Mantalini was in raptures with him, and that they went upstairs to breakfast

Kate busied herself in what she had to do, and was silently arranging the various articles of decoration in the best taste she could display, when she started to hear a strange ain, to observe, on looking round, that a white hat, and a red neckerchief, and a broad round face, and a large head, and part of a green coat were in the room too

'Don't alarm yourself, miss,' said the proprietor of these appearances 'I say; this here's the reatly astonished 'What did you want?'

The stranger answered not; but, first looking back, as though to beckon to some unseen person outside, came, very deliberately, into the room, and was closely followed by a little ht with hiation of stale tobacco and fresh onions The clothes of this gentles, and nether garments, from his heels to the waist buttons of his coat inclusive, were profusely eht previously-before the setting-in of the fine weather

Kate's very natural i individuals had called with the view of possessing themselves, unlawfully, of any portable articles that chanced to strike their fancy She did not atteuise her apprehensions, and made a move towards the door

'Wait ait softly, and standing with his back against it 'This is a unpleasant bisness Vere's your govvernor?'

'My what-did you say?' asked Kate, tre for watch or money

'Mister Muntlehiney,' said the man 'Wot's come on him? Is he at home?'

'He is above stairs, I believe,' replied Kate, a little reassured by this inquiry 'Do you want him?'

'No,' replied the visitor 'I don't ezactly want hiive him that 'ere card, and tell him if he wants to speak to ME, and save trouble, here I aer put a thick square card into Kate's hand, and, turning to his friend, reh pitch;' to which the friend assented, adding, by way of illustration, 'that there was lots of roorow up ahis head into contract vith the ceiling'

After ringing the bell which would sulanced at the card, and saw that it displayed the naether with some other information to which she had not had time to refer, when her attention was attracted by Mr Scaley hiave it a hard poke in the centre with his stick, as coolly as if it had been made of cast iron

'Good plate this here, Tix,' said Mr Scaley to his friend

'Ah!' rejoined Mr Tix, placing the ers, and a duplicate impression of his thumb, on a piece of sky-blue silk; 'and this here article warn't , mind you'

Froant articles of wearing apparel, while Mr Scaley adjusted his neckcloth, at leisure, before the glass, and afterwards, aided by its reflection, proceeded to the minute consideration of a piaged, when Mada the room, uttered an exclamation of surprise which roused him

'Oh! Is this the missis?' inquired Scaley

'It is Madame Mantalini,' said Kate

'Then,' said Mr Scaley, producing a s it very slowly, 'this is a writ of execution, and if it's not conwenient to settle we'll go over the house at wunst, please, and take the inwentory'

Poor Mada the bell for her husband; which done, she fell into a chair and a fainting fit, sientlemen, however, were not at all disco upon a stand on which a handsome dress was displayed (so that his shoulders appeared above it, in nearly the saned would have done if she had had it on), pushed his hat on one side and scratched his head with perfect unconcern, while his friend Mr Tix, taking that opportunity for a general survey of the apart on business, stood with his inventory-book under his ar a price upon every object within his range of vision

Such was the posture of affairs when Mr Mantalini hurried in; and as that distinguished specimen had had a pretty extensive intercourse with Mr Scaley's fraternity in his bachelor days, and was, besides, very far fro occasion, he ed his shoulders, thrust his hands down to the bottom of his pockets, elevated his eyebrohistled a bar or tore an oath or two, and, sitting astride upon a chair, put the best face upon the reat composure and decency

'What's the demd total?' was the first question he asked

'Fifteen hundred and twenty-seven pound, four and ninepence ha'penny,' replied Mr Scaley, withouta limb

'The halfpenny be demd,' said Mr Mantalini, impatiently

'By all means if you vish it,' retorted Mr Scaley; 'and the ninepence'

'It don't matter to us if the fifteen hundred and twenty-seven pound went along with it, that I know on,' observed Mr Tix

'Not a button,' said Scaley

'Well,' said the sa? Is it only a small crack, or a out-and-out sood Then Mr Toel wife and lovely fahts to coood of the lady a fretting herself?' continued Mr Scaley, as Madaood half of wot's here isn't paid for, I des-say, and wot a consolation oughtn't that to be to her feelings!'